Where specifically in Brooklyn would be a good temporary residence for me?
January 9, 2011 7:26 AM   Subscribe

Where specifically in Brooklyn would be a good temporary residence for me?

I will need to be in Brooklyn for about 6 months this year. I've had some good times in both Williamsburg and Boreum Hill, but don't know my way around that much.

I would like to find a one-bedroom (between $1000-$1500/mo) place that is within walking distance to good bars and restaurants. I will be working in the upper east side so I should probably have good access to the L train. I'm wondering about a place along the L between the the Bedford Ave stop and Graham stop.

Somewhere near the Pacific-Atlantic stop near Park Slope/Boreum Hill might be good too.

I'm wondering about not just neighborhoods but specific intersections and streets where there is fun stuff going on.

I would prefer a furnished sublet, rather than trying to move furniture in.

Finally, any recommendations other than HotPads, etc, to find a place? Is it even possible to get a place for only 3 or 6 months at a time?
posted by critzer to Home & Garden (8 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
It's possible to get a short-term sublet, but I'm questioning that price in those neighborhoods...as for where to look, I know Craigslist offers short-term sublets as well as year-round leases.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:53 AM on January 9, 2011


Those prices will be tough to get in those neighborhoods unless you are willing to move often, since sometimes month-long sublets are cheaper than longer term. You might also find something cheap if you are willing to pet sit.

I live in Park Slope, quite far from that Pac-Atl train, and pay $850 for a shared apartment.

I love both neighborhoods. Bedford ave is the happening place in Williamsburg and 5th ave is kind of the happening place in Park Slope (it's a huge neighborhood). In the slope, some cool things to be near would be The Bell House or Littlefield.
posted by melissam at 7:58 AM on January 9, 2011


5th Ave is where most of the interesting goings-on in Park Slope are, particularly the stretch between Flatbush Ave and 9th Street. It's also convenient in terms of pubtrans. You should be able to find a small one bedroom in your budget, although a studio might be easier.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 8:00 AM on January 9, 2011


The 4,5 (green colored lines) are the ones that would give you the easiest commute to the Upper East Side. In Brooklyn, Borough Hall and Atlantic Avenue are two major subway hubs that would give you a very easy commute. (Caveat: I personally hate the L train. Every time there's construction, or some kind of track/weather problem, it seems like the L and G trains are disproportionately affected. Many people disagree with me about this.)

Borum Hill (near Atlantic Avenue) would place you near a lot of fun stuff, and give you an easy commute. Atlantic Avenue has almost all the major trains, so it would be relatively easy to get around from there.

Studio sublets should be available on Craigslist for under $2000. affordable one bedrooms are a little harder to come by.
posted by abirae at 8:39 AM on January 9, 2011


I live in Crown Heights (or Prospect Heights, depending on who you talk to - my area is usually referred to as Prospect Heights in real estate listings) near the Franklin Avenue 2/3/4/5 stop. My area meets all your requirements. The price is right, there are great bars and restaurants in walking distance, and it's very easy to get to the Upper East Side from there because it's on the 4/5 express train line. You should definitely look into that area.

I know someone who lives in a one bedroom in Greenpoint (the close part of Greenpoint, too) and pays $1300, so Greenpoint might be worth looking at. You would want to live in walking distance to the L train, though, so your best bet would be around Nassau, Driggs, etc. and not so much in the trendier area near the Greenpoint Ave G train.
posted by Sara C. at 10:21 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Everyone lives in Prospect Heights nowadays and the 4 and 5 lines will get you to the UES without a transfer.

My only searching advice is Craigslist.
posted by oreofuchi at 12:02 PM on January 9, 2011


I would also concur with Prospect Heights near the Franklin stop. If you are determined to stay in that price range for a 1 bedroom, I would definitely consider Astoria or Sunnyside in Queens. Even that would be a stretch. If you're on Couchsurfing, try there for listings as well. The CS community is really active in the city, and people on there tend to trust other CSers more and hit that site first.
posted by msk1985 at 9:28 PM on January 9, 2011


I live right off the Graham stop on the L. That price range is possible, but I think you'll find more "rent a room in my 2-bedroom!" than one bedrooms around here, but it's worth a shot! Padmapper is a great resource.

As for specific streets, I think you can do pretty well in the north of grand/borinquen, west of morgan, south of 11th/richardson general area. There's coffee and bars and restaurants all over the place, so I don't think you'll do too badly anywhere. Is there anything specific you're looking for?

(assuming you do pick Williamsburg, no matter where you live, you'll be closeish to Saltie and Motorino and Pies'n'Thighs, and you could do a WHOLE lot worse than that)
posted by frankdrebin at 2:39 PM on January 10, 2011


« Older Managing a photo library with two users on two PCs...   |   This is the pits. Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.